Call to Action: Honor the Treaties – Facing History

In the month since Friends approved the minute of September 6, 2016, the Indian Committee has been busy. With the Eco Justice Collaborative, we are moving forward to identify appropriate and welcome ways to support the Standing Sioux against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) near Bismarck, North Dakota. We are collaborating with the Eco Justice Collaborative and have contact with Bismarck Friends Meeting. We sent out the minute to the Governor of North Dakota, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Justice Department and the White House. You can, too! See the links below.

As we stated in our minute “The UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples ensures the Standing Rock Sioux rights to legal recognition and protection of their homelands; fair process related to their lands; conservation and protection of their lands’ environment; and free, prior, and informed consent related to hazardous materials on their homelands. We support the Standing Rock Sioux in their demands for all of these rights to be recognized and implemented here.”

Friend Nancy Webster visited the camps and has been invited back. She relays a call from the Lakota for non-violent trainers for the NON-Indian people coming in support. We have located hospitality resources with Bismarck-Mandan Society of Friends going to the camps on a regular basis and will provide hospitality if you do have the skill of teaching non-violence. Please contact Patricia Shore, co-clerk of the Indian Committee at tricia.shore@gmail.com for more details.

Here’s more from Friend Nancy Webster, “Police shot down drones which were filming peaceful prayer walk for the newspaper Indian Country, beat walkers with batons, sprayed more tear gas, etc. They are calling for people ALREADY trained in non-violent opposition who are willing to get arrested. I think it may get much more violent, as the police are armed with live ammo, wearing riot gear all the time, etc. They are even telling the little kids in the campo, “Tell your parents to leave if you want them to live.” What adult would say that to a little kid?

I think the best we can do is 1)offer again to send non-violent trainers (lots of people in camp not familiar with this, although trainers here), get the news out to PYM Friends and encourage them to write ALL their elected reps to support the Lakota, figure out strategies and join with those picketing the money behind it all (TD< Enterprise, Sunoco, Citigroup, Banke Swisse, etc.) and maybe most important at this time, gedt the reguilar news (TV, radio, newspapers) to get the facts out. The pipeline’s money has bought almost complete silence from mainstream media. Makes me think of the great silence before the military-like invasion of the religious compound at Waco. There are heliocopters and cop drones overhead 24/7. They have told us they have all our retnal scans, let alone our license plates, cell phone numbers, etc.”

Here’s what else you need to know to help fight the Dakota Access Pipeline!

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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is a Quaker faith community, an association of 103 Quaker meetings, and an organization - all working together to nurture Quaker faith and practice in today’s world.

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